ION-BEAM SPUTTERING OF MAGNETORESISTIVE MULTILAYERS - CO CU AND CO-MODIFIED NI81FE19/GU SYSTEMS/

The ion beam sputtering method was applied to the preparation of Co/Cu and related multilayers. Improvements were obtained by changing the s puttering gas from Ar to Xe and by increasing the growth rate. By thes e means we achieved a magnetoresistance effect of 51% at room temperat ure in Co/Cu multilayers of only 16 periods. With these optimized work ing conditions Ni81Fe19/Cu multilayers with cobalt interfaces of vario us thicknesses were prepared. A linear correlation between the magneto resistance ratio and the antiferromagnetically coupled volume fraction is found indicating a predominant interface contribution to the magne toresistance effect. On the other hand, cobalt was found to degrade th e coupling quality and to enhance the coercivity.